M.A. in Professional Communication
Academic Purposes
Capstone projects have many different academic purposes for students. Some of the common benefits would be a way for students to display knowledge they have learned throughout their academic career or to prepare students for their future post-graduation but this is not the only purpose a capstone project serves. Two of the main purposes are it serves as a closure to a student's academics and a way to display a student's development throughout their academics.
Closure To Academics
Capstone projects are a way for students to utilize past knowledge learned and wrap it up into a final project. Students utilize both past knowledge learned and current knowledge gained to help them complete their capstone. Utilizing different skills, theories, and concepts helps strengthen a student's capstone rather than just using what they have recently learned. Capstone projects are a clear way for a student to show the skills, concepts, and theories they have learned over the course of their degree.
​
Student Development
As a student goes through their academic career they gain skills from each course that adds to their development as a student. This development can be viewed as the knowledge they have gained thus far but can also be viewed as how they have developed as an individual. As a student, you should become more independent and responsible for your studies and deadlines.
Capstone projects show how a student is able to work under strict deadlines to complete an academic project. They also show how a student has the ability to take on challenging tasks by utilizing critical thinking skills and time management to complete them at the level expected.
These students who have completed a capstone project are able to show they know how to work on their own or collaborate with others such as working with a faculty advisor, company, or client. This sets them up to be well-rounded individuals post-graduation.
​
​
